Ye lofty beeches, tell this matchlefs dame,
That if together ye fed all one flame,
It could not equalize the hundredth part,
Of what her eyes have kindled in my heart!-
Go, boy, and carve this paffion on the bark
Of yonder tree, which ftands the facred mark
Of noble Sidney's birth; when fuch benign,
Such more than mortal-making stars did shine;
That there they cannot but for ever prove
The monument and pledge of humble love:
His humble love, whofe hope fhall ne'er rife higher,
Than for a pardon that he dares admire.

N

TO MY LORD OF LEICESTER.

OT that thy trees at Pens-Hurft groan,

Oppreffed with their timely load;

And feem to make their filent moan,
That their great Lord is now abroad:
They to delight his taste, or eye,
Would spend themfelves in fruit, and dye.
Not that thy harmless deer repine,
And think themselves unjustly flain
By any other hand than thine,

Whofe arrows they would gladly stain:
No, nor thy friends, which hold too dear
That peace with France, which keeps thee there.
All these are lefs than that great cause,
Which now exacts your prefence here;
Wherein there meet the divers laws

Of public and domeftic care,

For

For one bright Nymph our youth contends,
And on your prudent choice depends.

Not the bright shield of Thetis' fon,
(For which fuch ftern debate did rife,
That the great Ajax Telamon

Refus'd to live without the prize)
Thofe Achive Peers did more engage,
Than the the gallants of our age.

That beam of beauty, which begun
To warm us fo, when thou wert here,
Now fcorches like the raging fun,
When Sirius does first appear.
O fix this flame; and let defpair
Redeem the reft from endless care!

Of the LADY who can fleep when she pleases.

O wonder Sleep from careful lovers flies,
To bathe himself in Sachariffa's eyes.
As fair Aftræa once from earth to heaven,
By strife and loud impiety was driven :
So with our plaints offended, and our tears,
Wife Somnus to that paradife repairs ;

Warts on her will, and wretches does forfake,

To court the Nymph, for whom thofe wretches wake. More proud than Phoebus of his throne of gold

Is the foft God, thofe fofter limbs to hold

Nor would exchange with Jove, to hide the skies
In darkning clouds, the power to close her eyes:
Eyes, which so far all other lights control,
They warm our mortal parts, but these our foul!
Let her free spirit, whofe unconquered breast
Holds fuch deep quiet, and untroubled reft,
Know, that though Venus and her son should spare
Her rebel heart, and never teach her care;
Yet Hymen may in force his vigils keep;
And, for another's joy, fufpend her fleep.

Of the Mif-report of her being painted.

S when a fort of wolves infeft the night,

With their wild howlings at fair Cynthia's light;
The noife may chafe fweet flumber from her eyes,
But never reach the miftrefs of the fkies:
So, with the news of Sachariffa's wrongs,
Her vexed fervants blame thofe envious tongues:
Call Love to witnefs, that no painted fire
Can fcorch men fo, or kindle fuch defire:
While, unconcerned, fhe feems mov'd no more
With this new malice, than our loves before;
But, from the height of her great mind, looks down
On both our paffions, without fmile or frown.
So little care of what is done below

Hath the bright dame, whom Heaven affecteth fo!
Paints her, 'tis true: with the fame hand which spreads
Like glorious colors through the flowery meads;
When lavish nature with her best attire

Clothes the gay fpring, the feafon of defire.

Paints her, 'tis true, and does her cheek adorn,
With the fame art wherewith she paints the morn:
With the fame art, wherewith the gildeth fo
Those painted clouds which form Thaumantias' bow,

A$

Of her paffing through a Crowd of People.

S in old Chaos (heaven with earth confus'd,

And ftars with rocks together crush'd and bruis'd)

The Sun his light no further could extend

Than the next hill, which on his fhoulders lean'd:
So in this throng bright Sachariffa far'd,
Opprefs'd by those who ftrove to be her guard:
As fhips, though never fo obfequious, fall
Foul in a tempeft on their Admiral.
A greater favor this disorder brought
Unto her fervants, than their awful thought
Durft entertain, when thus compell'd they preft
The yielding marble of her fnowy breast.
While Love infults, difguifed in the cloud,
And welcome force, of that unruly crowd.
So th' amorous tree, while yet the air is calm,
Just distance keeps from his defired Palm :
But when the wind her ravish'd branches throws
Into his arms, and mingles all their boughs;
Though loth he feems her tender leaves to prefs,
More loth he is that friendly ftorm should ceafe;
From whofe rude bounty he the double use

At once receives, of pleasure and excuse.

E 3

1

The

The Story of PHOEBUS and DAPHNE applied.

THYRSIS, a youth of the inspired train,

Fair Sachariffa lov'd, but lov'd in vain : Like Phoebus fung the no lefs amorous boy; Like Daphne fhe, as lovely, and as coy! With Numbers he the flying Nymph pursues ; With Numbers fuch as Phoebus' felf might ufe! Such is the chace, .when love and fancy leads, O'er craggy mountains, and through flowery meads ; Invok'd to testify the lover's care,

Or form fome image of his cruel Fair.

Urg'd with his fury, like a wounded deer,
O'er thefe he fled; and now approaching near,
Had reach'd the Nymph with his harmonious Lay,
Whom all his charms could not incline to stay.
Yet, what he fung in his immortal strain,
Though unfuccefsful, was not fung in vain :
All, but the Nymph that should redress his wrong,
Attend his paffion, and approve his fong.
Like Phoebus thus, acquiring unfought praise,
He catch'd at love, and fill'd his arms with bays.

FABULA PHOEBI ET DAPHNES. RCADIA juvenis Thyrfis, Phœbique facerdos, Ingenti fruftra Sacharislæ ardebat amore. Haud Deus ipfe olim Daphni majora canebat; Nec fuit afperior Daphne, nec pulchrior illâ : Carminibus Phoebo dignis premit ille fugacem Per rupes, per faxa, volans per florida vates

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